Unsung Heroes of the Games Industry: Sound Designers

Do you want to help make games for a living? This feature series explores some of the roles you may not have considered.

By
Dan Staines

It’s easy to forget how much work goes into making a video game, particularly the AAA kind. We tend to associate games with one or two visionaries – the Miyamotos, the Levines, the Kojimas – while overlooking the dozens, sometimes hundreds, of men and women who strive daily to implement their vision.

In this multi-part feature, we shine a light on the forgotten, the overlooked – the unsung heroes. Drawing on the expertise of over a dozen experienced developers, we get an insider’s overview of five vital but seldom celebrated roles in game development. We find out what makes these roles so important, what it’s like to work in one, and what it takes, skills and knowledge-wise, to obtain one.

In today’s instalment: sound designers.

What does a sound designer do?

“The role of a sound designer can greatly vary from company to company,” Ryan Sim, sound designer at Sumo Digital, tells us. “At a first glance the main day to day responsibilities are usually to create sound effects needed for your project, which includes everything from recording footsteps to creating intricate ambiences to compel a desired mood or a hyper realistic weapon sound made by layering lots of sounds to create something new.”

Sound can be a powerful vehicle for messaging emotional undertones, reinforcing visual content such as special effects, telegraphing gameplay or helping storytelling both on and off screen - James Magee, Creative Assembly

Once a sound is designed, it then needs to be implemented in the game, a different and equally taxing challenge. An effect that sounds amazing played in isolation may become muddied in the mix, or annoying with repetition. “Placing sounds into the game is an art of its own,” says Sim. “Is it 3D or 2D? Do I want variety and random small pitch changes so it sounds like it’s always changing? How does it sound at different distances?” It is the sound designer’s job to ask and resolve these and many similar questions on a daily basis.

“Sound design has many uses, it can add weight and physicality to visual elements on screen, provide ambience, support storytelling or score emotional cues,” says James Magee, a sound designer at Creative Assembly with over seven years industry experience. To illustrate the value of sound design, he asks us to imagine watching a horror movie with the sound turned off: no squealing violins, no squeaky doors and booming thunder, no finger-blades scraping metal or iconic tch-tch-tch haa haa haa. “Is it as scary and effective at evoking fear?” he asks.

Now think about games. Imagine Mario Bros. without the distinctive “ka-ching” that plays when you pick up a coin, or Street Fighter II without “hadoken!” and “sonic boom!”. Imagine Doom’s cyberdemon sans the “chsssh-thunk” of his mechanised legs, or the Shalebridge Cradle without the ominous thumps and demented giggles of ghostly inmates. Kind of sucks, doesn’t it?

You don't even need to hear it to think "hadoken."

“Sound can be a powerful vehicle for messaging emotional undertones, reinforcing visual content such as special effects, telegraphing gameplay or helping storytelling both on and off screen,” continues Magee. “That is not to say sound design has to be subtle, it can be incredibly up front in the mix but should reflect what feels right for the scene, story, game level or mechanic.”

What it's like being a sound designer?

The daily routine and responsibilities of a sound designer varies over the course of development. In the pre-production phase, sound designers will often spend a lot of time collaborating with colleagues in other departments, brainstorming and planning the overall shape a game’s sound will take. “This is also the time we work out a lot of technical sound design requirements,” says Magee. “We plan the audio systems we want to develop with our audio programmers and discover what real-time data is available in other game systems to be used to drive interactive sound.”

Once the game goes into full production, the sound designer’s role shifts to creating and implementing audio where it’s required. To generate and edit sounds, sound designers rely on Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) like Pro Tools, Reaper, and Sound Forge, typically combining them with a selection of preferred plugins for effects like reverb and EQ. Obtaining source material means going out and recording stuff from real-life, generating sounds using synthesis, or combining existing sound effects to make something new.

Alternatively, hold a mic up to Michael Winslow for a while.

Describing her process for creating sounds for Bejeweled Stars, PopCap audio director Jaclyn Schumate tells us she began by taking some completed music from one of the game’s levels and making sounds to complement it. “I created different magic wind/whooshes, made interesting synthesized sounds, used some musical elements from instrument recording sessions we've had, added together with various metal hits, flames, and random other pieces of sounds,” she says. “To me, the sounds felt like magic stars and celestial gems put together into a magical musical machine, even though they weren’t matched up with any visuals at that point.”

How can I become a sound designer?

There are no formal requirements for becoming a sound designer, although a strong background in audio production and engineering is obviously regarded favourably by most employers. For Schumate, the most important thing is to know your tools and develop your skills. “You can download and try out middleware and even game engines these days, so there aren’t any barriers to learning and experimenting.”

You can download and try out middleware and even game engines these days, so there aren't any barriers to learning and experimenting. - Jaclyn Schumate, PopCap

“Download the middleware Wwise and replace the audio from the demo with your own,” advises Ryan Sims. “Showing you can actually work with the engine side of things will go a very long way.”

In addition to developing your skills and knowing your tools, Sims, Magee, and Schumate are unanimous in stressing the importance of making contacts in the industry. “Network, network, network!” says Schumate. “Attending conventions like GDC or GameSoundCon can be extraordinarily helpful. There is also the Game Audio Network Guild and an active game audio community on Reddit and Twitter.”

“Working in game audio is exhilarating and challenging, requiring excellent creative and technical abilities,” concludes Magee. “Entry level sound designer positions can be hard to find but if you are passionate, dedicated and willing to put in the effort, I believe it’s entirely possible to create the opportunity to get into the games industry.”

Thanks to Ryan Sims, Jaclyn Schumate, and James Magee for their invaluable assistance. Keep an eye on IGN for part two of Unsung Heroes: QA testers.

Dan Staines is a freelance writer and academic with an unhealthy fascination with moral dilemmas and Deus Ex. You can read more of his stuff and listen to his terrible music at danstaines.com, and tweet at him @drstiz.